The Importance of knowing the Rules of Kilted Fashion

[Larry124]

…[Rules) are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of [Rules] becomes destructive… it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [them], and to institute new [Rules], laying [their] foundation on such principles and organizing [their] powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their…Happiness.

Where have I heard something like that before?

[DWFII]

…[Rules) are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of [Rules] becomes destructive… it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish [them], and to institute new [Rules], laying [their] foundation on such principles and organizing [their] powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their…Happiness.

Where have I heard something like that before?

But rules are not laws and, with all due respect, simply substituting "rules" wherever you want is a form of sophistry that only serves to mislead and confuse the issue.

Thing is...that whether they be rules or laws or even just a simple set of commonly recognized conventions...once you change them, nothing remains the same. For instance (and my apologies to anyone who is Catholic), if you defy the "rules" of the Catholic Church it begs the question, beyond a certain point, of whether you can call yourself a Catholic, at all. You follow?

No one forces anyone to wear a kilt...or to wear a kilt "just so." But we do have, and accept, a somewhat common vision of what Highland Attire is supposed to look like. And when those conventions are violated...beyond a certain point..."Highland Attire" becomes something else. And maybe the kilt becomes something else, too?

[DWFII]

IMHO...

The Full Windsor looks great with certain ties--ties that are silk or thin enough to make a neat, relatively small knot. Some bulky knit ties for instance, not so much.

And the Windsor also looks good with certain shirt or collar styles but when paired with a collar that does not spread as much as modern collars, it not only distorts the shirt but gets lost behind the collar.

True, not many shirts (or even detachable collars) are made in this older style ...la Belle Epoque...but there are still some around and still some of us who prefer that style of collar.

The point, though, is that sometimes the Windsor is just not appropriate and since the average man will see styles shift several times in his lifetime, it is always handy to know a few other knots--the Half Windsor, if nothing else.

[The Barry]

Maybe it's my mixed blood coming through, but I'm usually a half-windsor guy. Or a four-in-hand. The full windsor is just too big of a knot, it looks strange on me.